


Coughing Up Love

by Pokeharvest



Series: One Piece One Shots/Drabbles [12]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst, Blood, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Hanahaki Disease, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:06:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27256165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pokeharvest/pseuds/Pokeharvest
Summary: You're in a wonderful relationship with Sanji--until one day you start to cough up flowers.
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro/Reader, Vinsmoke Sanji/Reader
Series: One Piece One Shots/Drabbles [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1989934
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

The moon and stars dimly shone in the night sky as Sanji escorted you back to the Going Merry. As he led you to the girl's cabin, you turned to him.

"Thank you for the wonderful night, Sanji. I loved it." The corners of his lips curled in a small smile.

"Anything for you, my love." Kissing him goodnight, you quietly opened the door and slipped into the darkness of your room.

As you climbed into your hammock and pulled your blanket over you, you felt something stir in your lungs. A sudden coughing fit erupted, and you tried your best to muffle it as to not wake Nami or Robin. Once you stopped coughing, you felt something in your mouth. Taking it out, your eyes widened in shock. Fear coursed through your bloodstream.

"No...! It can't be!" You thought, feeling the item in your hand to see if it was really true. In your palm was a single flower petal. "The hanahaki disease?!" Guilt washed over you and you held back the tears forming in your eyes.

"(Y/n)...Are you okay?" Nami sleepily called out. Taking in a deep breath to calm your nerves, you responded as normally as you could.

"Yeah, I'm fine. You can go back to sleep."

"Mm...Okay..." Once you heard Nami's even breathing again, you hastily shoved the flower petal under your pillow, praying it was somehow a mistake.

———————————————————

Waking up the next morning you hoped it was all just a bad dream. The single pink flower petal under your pillow, however, proved to you that it was real. This single, lone petal spoke volumes. Coughing up flower petals could only mean one thing. An unrequited love. You mindlessly rolled the soft petal between your fingers as you tried to think about who it was. Your thoughts were cut off by Nami and Robin waking up, and you shoved the petal under your pillow once more.

"Soooo..." Nami started, doing her morning stretches. "How was your date with Sanji? You got back pretty late." All of your worries temporarily fled your mind as you remembered your date.

"Oh, it was _wonderful!_ " You gushed, clasping your hands together. "He took me to this fancy restaurant where he had these _exquisite_ dishes cooked and then when we were walking back, he asked me to dance with him on the beach! It was so beautiful, with the moon high in the sky, and the ocean waves softly crashing in the background." You sighed, reliving the night before. Robin gave out a chuckle.

"Oh, you lovebirds. You're so cute together." You bit your lip and averted your eyes as you all too suddenly remembered your situation. Climbing out of your hammock, you made your way to the kitchen. Sanji was humming contentedly while he fried up some fish and eggs. Seeing him in his element made you so blissful.

"Good morning, Sanji!" You said, giving him a loving peck on the cheek.

"Good morning, my love." His response lacked some of his usual bubbly enthusiasm of seeing you. You frowned a bit and felt his forehead.

"Are you okay? You seem a little off." He smiled, melting all doubt from your mind.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night. The damn mosshead kept snoring." You laughed a little, and leaned against a nearby cabinet.

"I wish you two would get along better. He's my closest friend here." Sanji's brow furrowed while he began to plate out breakfast.

"He just rubs me the wrong way." Helping to put the plates on the table, you glanced over to Sanji, glimmer in your eye.

"As opposed to rubbing you the right way?" Sanji just stared back in disgust as you laughed.

Once everyone began eating breakfast, you looked around the table and tried to figure out who it was. Chopper? No. He's like, what? Eight? Usopp? No. He's sweet, but not your type. Luffy? Absolutely not. Too rambunctious. Nami or Robin? No. You didn't swing that way...that you knew of. Zoro? No, he's just a good friend. Who was it?!

After a few minutes of concentrated thinking, you felt a familiar feeling building in your lungs.

"Crap...!" You thought. "Not here!" Swiftly grabbing your napkin, you covered your mouth and coughed the flower petals into it. All eyes were on you.

"Are you okay?" Chopper asked, getting up from his seat.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," you lied, while removing the napkin from your mouth and placing it in your lap so no one could see the contents. "Just uh, wrong tube I guess." Everyone slowly went back to their previous conversations.

———————————————————

"This isn't getting any better," you thought after having another coughing fit in the bathroom. Gripping the sides of the sink, you looked at yourself in the mirror. What were you going to do? How would Sanji react to you loving someone other than him? Would he leave you? A tear had begun to make its way down your face. Angrily and with a newfound resolve, you wiped it away.

"No! That won't happen!" You said, looking yourself straight in the eye. "You'll nip whatever is happening right now in the bud, and make sure that Sanji doesn't find out about this." Gathering all of the petals, you shoved them all in your pocket and took a deep breath. The only way you could stop this from happening is to isolate yourself from everyone except Sanji. It would be difficult, but if it rid you of these unwanted feelings, it was all worth it. Gripping the bathroom doorknob, you turned it and headed outside. Sneaking off to the crow's nest, you leaned against the wooden boards. You've spent your fair share of night watches here, but this time it felt different. You were purposefully separating yourself. Standing up and looking around to make sure no one was watching, you took the flower petals from your pocket and scattered them to the wind. As you watched them twist and curl into the horizon, you felt another coughing fit develop. You barely had enough time to duck down out of sight back into the crow's nest before the petals burst from your mouth. Unbeknownst to you, a certain swordsman saw you drop back into the crow's nest. Raising an eyebrow, he got up and made his way up the ropes to check in on you.

Laying out all of the petals in the floor, you counted again to make sure you were right.

"15?! It's only getting worse and worse! What am I doing wrong?!" You thought, holding back your tears. Upon hearing someone come up the ladder, you yelled out just enough for them to hear you.

"Unless you're Sanji, leave me alone!" The creak of rope pulling on wood stopped.

"Are you sure? I'm just making sure you're okay. I-"

"I just need to be alone." Zoro, already halfway up the rope, felt his mouth form a thin line. If you wanted space, he'd give it to you.

"Okay." He began his descent back down to the deck. Pulling your knees to your chest, you only cried harder. As you hiccupped in air, you were struck with a particularly violent bout of coughing. The petals shot out of your mouth despite your feeble attempts to stop them. You were brought to your hands and knees as the coughing continued. After what felt like an eternity, it stopped. Taking in heavy breaths, you touched your hand to the corner to your mouth. Shakily pulling it away, you saw a shiny red liquid. Before you could even call for help, more petals flew from your mouth, but this time accompanied by blood.

———————————————————

"Dinner's ready!" Sanji hollered. People began to pile into the kitchen, waiting expectantly for Sanji's delicious cooking. Except you.

"Hey, where's (Y/n)?" He asked, noticing you weren't there.

"Last I saw her, she was in the crow's nest," Zoro said, leaning back in his chair. Sanji just glared at him while he gave everyone their meals.

"Then go get her, mosshead."

"She didn't want to see anyone except you, shit cook. You go get her." Sanji practically threw Zoro's meal down in front of him, putting on his blazer as he made way out the kitchen.

Gripping the ropes to the crow's nest, he felt uneasy with the silence in the air.

"(Y/n)? You up there? Dinner's ready." The lack of response urged him to climb faster. Climbing into the small wooden area, he was frozen with fear. Bloodied petals covered every inch of the floor. You were laying on them, body limp and blood leaking out of your mouth. Sanji rushes to your side, feeling for a pulse. Carefully placing you over his shoulder, he climbed down the ropes as fast as he could. Kicking the kitchen door down, he shouted for Chopper.

———————————————————

"The hanahaki disease?" Sanji asked, staring at your resting face. You had lost a lot of blood, making your skin look deathly pale.

"Yes. I have given her something to reduce the intensity and frequency of the coughing, but the only way for it to be gone completely is for her to either overcome her love or be loved in return." Sanji's grave expression never left his face.

"I'm sorry, Chopper, but...can I be with her? Alone?" Chopper nodded, making his way to the door. "And...please don't tell anyone, okay?"

"Okay." Chopper said softly before leaving. Sanji pulled up a chair to you, having put the pieces together already. Gingerly taking your hand in his, he grazed his thumb over the back of your hand.

"Oh, (Y/n)...I'm so sorry."

Feeling something warm in your hand, you cracked your eyes open to see what it was, only to be met by Sanji's gaze.

"H-Hi..." You weakly called out, throat raw.

"Hey. How you feeling?" His look of concern just filled you with remorse.

"Terrible."

"Here's some water," he said, handing you the mug that was next to the cot you were in. Thanking him, you took a sip of the cool liquid, soothing your throat in the process. Gripping the side of the mug, you dreaded the conversation that was about to happen.

"I'm sorry," you whimpered pathetically, tears threatening to fall from your eyes. "You know I have the hanahaki disease, right?"

"Yes."

"I...I'm so sorry!" You cried out as best as you could with your throat in the condition it was in. The tears had started to flow freely from your eyes. "I didn't want you to know, especially not like this. I don't even know who it is..." Sanji bit down on his lip, a nervous tick you'd observed through your time together. He released your hand to wipe your tears.

"(Y/n), please, don't cry...It's not your fault."

"W-What do you mean?" Your innocently confused expression only made it harder for Sanji to say the words he knew he needed to tell you.

"I...I've fallen out of love."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Healing is difficult, but Zoro helps you along the way.

Zoro awkwardly patted your back as you clung tightly to his shirt, wetting it with your tears.

"Shh, shh," he hushed, trying to calm you down. "Hey, it's gonna be okay. You'll get through this."

"I-It just hurts...! So much...!" You managed to croak out before another bout of coughs violently racked your body. Zoro turned to the door and yelled out.

"Chopper! She needs help!" Chopper rushed into the room and grabbed the syringe next to the table. Steadying your arm, Chopper injected the liquid into your bloodstream, and your coughs soon subsided.

"Thank you...Chopper," you weakly smiled as Zoro laid you back down on the medical cot. You were soon fast asleep.

"I just gave her an anesthetic," Chopper said, taking out a new syringe and placing it on the table. Disposing of the used needle, he spoke up again. "It won't take the pain away, but it'll help her rest."

"Thank you." Turning to face Zoro, the little reindeer voiced his concerns.

"Are you okay? You've been by her side for almost three days now."

"I'm fine," Zoro said, not once taking his eyes off of your sleeping form. Your breaths weren't as labored as they were the previous nights, which made him feel somewhat better about your condition. "She needs someone here when she wakes up."

"Other people can watch her, too..." Chopper meekly suggested. He had grown increasingly worried for Zoro, who hadn't stepped out of the room once since Sanji broke your heart. "You haven't trained at all since-"

"I'll be okay," Zoro said a little too harshly. Hearing Chopper leave the room, Zoro thought to himself, "Nothing is more important than her right now." He held your hand and watched as you shifted in your sleep, wondering what you were dreaming of.

———————————————————

"...What?" You whispered, barely able to get the word out of your mouth. Sanji sat nervously in his chair, his expression conveying volumes of pity.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized, clenching fistfuls of your blanket in his hands. He looked down to avoid your gaze. "It's all my fault that you're suffering...Just because I don't love you the same way as before...!" The one time he had _truly_ loved someone, he just had to ruin it didn't he? Sanji felt one of his fists become covered by yours.

"It's not your fault." Your voice was raspy but tender, gravelly yet calming. "Don't _ever_ apologize for the way you feel. Please don't try and force yourself to love me just so I won't have to go through this. I'll be fine." Sanji tilted his head up, only to be met with understanding and forgiveness.

"C-Can we still be friends?" You smiled at his question, heart melting from the innocence of it.

"Of course."

———————————————————

Your eyes opened with a start, scaring Zoro. He tensed up, automatically reaching for the blades at his hip. Once he realized you were okay, he relaxed.

"Don't scare me like that."

"Sorry..." you mumbled. "Bad dream."

"About what?" Your eyes shifted away, towards the seat Sanji was sitting in just three days before.

"I...don't want to talk about it." Zoro's eyebrows furrowed with concern.

"It was about that shit cook wasn't it," he said, voice dripping with venom. You sighed. Zoro just knew you too well sometimes.

"Yeah." Tears began to flood your vision and you tried to blink them away. They fell down your face and you reached to wipe them away, only to see Zoro handing you a tissue.

"His ass would have been beat so hard right now if you didn't stop me earlier," he grumbled. A sad smile bloomed on your face as you fiddled with the tissue.

"Just because he doesn't feel the same way as I do doesn't mean he needs to be punished for it. I'll get through this. It'll just take time." Seeing Zoro's brow still furrowed, you took one of his hands in yours. "Thank you for staying with me...It really means a lot. But I can handle myself. I've been getting better." He opened his mouth to say something, but you cut him off. "Go train. I don't want to stop you from becoming the world's greatest swordsman." Knowing how stubborn you could be, Zoro silently left, taking one last look at you before shutting the door behind him.

"Hey, it's Zoro!" Luffy shouted. Everyone's head turned to see the swordsman step out of the room.

"What are you all looking at?" Everyone resumed their previous activities, and Zoro headed to the back of the ship to train. As he grabbed his swords and swung, something was different. His chest felt heavier. "Damn...Three days without practice really did a toll on me..." Suddenly, he started to cough, and a single flower petal fell to the ground. Shakily picking it up, he turned it over in his palm to make sure it was real. It was.

"...Shit."

———————————————————

As the days passed, Zoro continued to visit you. The Going Merry had docked at a new island, so he decided to get a little something for you, despite his ever-present debt to Nami. You deserved something nice, especially with what you were going through now.

"Close your eyes," he said, hiding the gift behind his back. Rolling your eyes at his antics, you covered them with your hands. Not hearing any movement, you whined.

"I'm not looking!"

"Someone's impatient."

"You try being a shut in for a week." Feeling something being placed on your lap, you struggled not to look yet.

"You can open your eyes. But don't laugh..." Zoro trailed off, anxiously watching you peel your hands from your face. You held back a chuckle once you saw the wrapping job. The paper was crinkled, the copious amounts of tape on it held nothing together, and the bow sat crookedly on the side of the box. The only thing keeping it together was a whole lot of hope.

"Something tells me you wrapped this."

"I can take it back if you're just gonna be rude," Zoro said, reaching for your gift. You snatched it out of his grasp, pouting.

"I didn't say I didn't want it..." Taking off the wrapping paper, you gasped.

"A new knife cleaning kit?!" The swordsman sheepishly smiled as you opened the box and delicately held each item as if it would break under your touch. He grinned, relieved to see how much it meant to you. "This is one of the most expensive ones out there too, how did you get this?!" Zoro just shrugged, not wanting to mention how he skipped his monthly payment to Nami so he could buy it for you. "This is the nicest thing anyone's ever gotten me...Thank you." A faint blush rose to his cheeks.

"It's only fair. You've been sick the past week and a half..."

"Actually," you started, face lighting up. "I've been feeling better! The coughing isn't as frequent or violent. It's still kinda bad...but I think being around you has really helped me..." Your grin made Zoro flush once again. Little did you know, his own coughing hadn't grown in intensity, even though his feelings had.

"Does that mean she likes me back...?" Zoro thought to himself while you inspected your new kit some more. "No, I'm just her friend..."

———————————————————

Time seemed to drag on once Zoro realized he loved you. When Chopper deemed you well enough, he dismissed you from bed rest and Zoro was by your side as you took your first steps onto the deck.

"Aw man," you winced, shielding your eyes. "I don't remember it being this bright outside." Zoro just laughed as you experienced being outdoors again for the first time in weeks. "Well, I guess I should train...Gotta keep my knife skills... _sharp_." You waggled your eyebrows at Zoro, who only wore a look of grave disappointment.

"I can tell Chopper you're not feeling okay and have him put you back on bed rest if you keep that up."

"No, no, fine! I'll stop!"

"That's what I thought." Jutting your tongue out at him, you walked towards the back of the ship where your targets were. Zoro followed, since it was also where his training equipment was kept (it was the only space large enough).

Strapping your knife holsters onto your thighs, you twirled one knife into your hand. Cocking back your arm, you aimed at the beat-up target twenty feet away from you. Zoro watched intently as your tongue stuck out in concentration, hair gently moving in the wind. All of a sudden, your arm shot forward, sending the knife flying towards the target. It landed half a centimeter off from dead center and you sighed.

"Man, I'm really out of practice." Zoro was amazed at your skill and admired your desire for perfection in your craft. As you pulled the knife from the board, you finally noticed Zoro's stare, and raised an eyebrow at him. "Did you wanna try?" Embarrassed that he'd been caught, Zoro said the first thing that came to mind, which was, quite frankly, a mistake.

"Yeah, why not?" He mentally cursed himself as he saw the edge of your mouth curl into a smug smile.

"Alright Mr. Bushido..." Handing him one of your knives, you stood off to the side. He cocked back his arm as you had earlier, and took in a shaky breath. He launched the knife forward, and your jaw dropped as you saw where it ended up. Erupting into a burst of laughter, you managed to wheeze out,

"Oh my god...! I don't think you could have been more off-target!" Zoro had somehow managed to send the knife soaring up into the air, twisting and turning over Nani's tangerine groves, landing somewhere on the front deck of the Going Merry. A screech from Usopp had only made you laugh harder, until you were on the floor clutching your stomach. Zoro twitched in embarrassment, face burning up.

"S-Shut up. I'm a swordsman, not a knife wielder..."

"Yeah, no shit!" You cackled out, beginning to wheeze. It suddenly turned into coughing. Zoro was immediately at your side, helping to sit you up. A few petals had come out, but at this point both of you were used to it. Once it had died down, you took deep, shaky breaths to help calm yourself.

"...You okay?" Zoro tentatively said, not sure if he was asking about your coughs or lingering feelings for Sanji.

"I will be," you turned to smile at him. "Once you get my knife back. Luffy's probably running around with it right now." The swordsman just raised an eyebrow at you, searching your expression for any hidden feelings.

"You sure you're good?" Groaning at his overprotectiveness, you shooed him away.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine! Now go get my knife." Zoro got to his feet, giving you one last questioning look before going to retrieve your weapon. As you watched him walk away, you leaned back on your hands, grinning ear to ear.

———————————————————

"You should tell her." Robin's offhanded comment caught Zoro by surprise. Cracking a single eye open, he saw that they were the only ones on the deck.

"What are you talking about?"

"You should tell (Y/n) how you feel already." Zoro nearly choked on his own spit.

"You're delusional. We're just friends." He blurted out. Just because he wanted to be something more didn't mean he was lying, right? "B-Besides, even if she _did_ like me back, she only stopped coughing two days ago. It's still too soon."

"If you say so," Robin sighed, obviously seeing through his facade. "Just remember, you only have hanahaki if your love is unrequited. If she's not coughing it either means she isn't in love or is loved in return." Shutting her book, Robin headed for the kitchen. Zoro just stared as she walked away, brow furrowed and mouth frowning in deep thought. Closing his eyes and getting comfortable against the deck, he had one thought before he dozed off.

"I'll wait a month...then I'll tell her."

———————————————————

After your dismissal from bed rest, life seemed to flow back into its typical rhythm. Zoro, however, became all too aware of how much more time you spent with him. How you always sat closer to him than before. How whenever he napped, he'd always find you next to him when he awoke. How after battles, you always checked on him first. It all had to mean _something_ , right?

Zoro was so lost in thought he almost knocked into the tree in front of him.

"Damn trees moving around..." he muttered before side-stepping out of the way.

"Zoro? Is that you?" You called out, appearing from behind a few trees. Pointing to the overflowing basket on his back, you commented, "Looks like you got a lot of fruit." He nodded.

"Yeah, I'm trying to find the ship, but the trees keep moving." You stifled a giggle at his hopeless sense of direction.

"Do you need any help?"

"No, I can make my way back."

"...Okay," you said, a little unsure of how he was going to make it back without any assistance. "See you around then." You walked away in search of more food for the crew.

Zoro continued to venture through the woods, slashing his way through the thick foliage. After what felt like hours of walking, he saw movement in the bushes and ventured towards it, hoping for a large boar or goat to bring back for dinner. Instead, he found you kneeling and picking berries off of a bush.

"Oh. Hi Zoro!" You beamed, looking up at him, not noticing the flush on his face.

"How long has it been since we met by those trees? It feels like I've been walking forever."

"Um," you said, glancing at your watch. "About five minutes." Standing up from the foliage, you saw Zoro with his jaw dropped. "You okay?" His face flushed.

"Yeah..."

"Still don't need any help getting to the ship?"

"No, I'll be fine." You nodded in response.

"Well, I'll probably be here a while. This bush has a ton of really sweet berries. Chopper's gonna love these!" Zoro felt heat rise to his face at you continued to pluck the berries off of the plant. Why'd you have to be so damn cute all the time?!

"Alright, see you back on the ship then." Zoro spun around on his heel and reluctantly walked away. As he left, you kept your eye on your watch, counting how long it would take for him to stray from the straight path in front of him.

It only took thirty seconds.

You just giggled and shook your head, continuing to gather the small berries. After a while, you heard the ever-familiar clomping of boots from _behind_ you.

"I think that's the quickest you've found me, Zoro."

"...Shut up."

"Anyway," you said, turning around to face him. "Since you can't seem to leave me, why not just stay? We'll go back together." The way the light added a twinkle to your eyes made Zoro's heart flutter. Too tongue twisted to speak, he dumbly nodded in response.

"I found a neat clearing a while ago," you mentioned. Checking to see that he was still following you, you continued. "It's too pretty not to share with someone else!" Zoro felt his heart speed up as you grabbed his hand and lead the way. The walk was brief, and Zoro's eyes widened at the grassy field before him. The island so far had been thick with dark green trees and bushes, but the clearing was filled with a light green grass and dotted with pastel colored flowers.

"Only on the Grand Line," you breathed, still taken aback at the sight. "C'mon!" Without warning, you began to run through the field, dragging Zoro along with you. Once in the middle of the grass, you dropped your bags and flopped down on your back, looking up at the clouds. Zoro gently set his basket of fruit on the ground as well, careful not to spill any. With a groan, he dropped to the ground next to you.

A comfortable silence sat in the air as the two of you watched the clouds roll by. You sighed contently, relishing the peaceful moment amid your ever-eventful life. Zoro looked to you, a smile of his own forming on his face. Plucking a flower next to him, he began to roll the stem between his fingers, watching the petals spin round and round.

"Y'know, I'd give you this flower, but I have a feeling you've had enough of flower petals for a lifetime." The words casually fell from his lips.

He wasn't sure what he expected your reaction to be, but it definitely wasn't laughter. It wasn't much more than a chuckle, but it was enough to confuse Zoro. He turned his head to face you, only to see that you were already looking at him. The grass tickled his cheek, but he didn't really mind—it was worth being able to gaze into your vibrant, glistening eyes.

"I'd like anything you gave me," you finally spoke, eyes locked with Zoro's. He felt his face burn and quickly averted his gaze to the flower, not wanting you to see his cool demeanor crumble. As he started at the little blossom in his hand, his mind began to race. Should he finally tell you?

"I...I had the hanahaki disease not too long ago," he shakily called out a little louder than he wanted to.

"I did too. You're not special," you teased, sticking your tongue out at him. You giggled as his face got redder.

"Anyways..." he muttered. "It's been gone for a while now, even though my feelings haven't, and you know what that means..." Nervously, he glanced at you, checking your reaction to the barely cohesive stream of words coming from his mouth. Your hands were behind your head, eyes watching the clouds.

"I'm listening." Zoro's eyes darted back to the sky.

"I just wanted to say that I..." Zoro swallowed, mouth suddenly dry. Why was he so antsy?! He already knew you liked him back, or else he'd still have hanahaki. "I love you." He continued to look straight up at the fluffy white clouds above him, awaiting your response.

"I know, I love you too." Zoro jolted upright. You sat up as well, albeit much more calmly than Zoro had. "Is something wrong?"

"N-No, I just...didn't expect you to be so casual about it..." he mumbled, visibly relaxing. Slowly, a smile grew on your face as you saw the usually stone-faced swordsman stumble over his words, blush tinging his face and ears pink.

"I mean, I just thought it was obvious by now."

"Y-Yeah, I guess..." He shifted to face you. "But you deserve to hear it out loud." A blush quickly made its way across your face.

You felt an arm wrap around you and the next thing you knew, Zoro was holding you close to his chest, tentatively pressing a kiss to your temple.

"Gosh, who knew you could be such a sap?" You joked, snuggling into Zoro. Zoro gave no response, but simply buried his head into the crook of your neck, attempting to hide his embarrassment. A devilish smirk spread across your face as an idea popped into your head. Shifting slightly, you turned your head to plant a kiss on Zoro's cheek. You laughed as Zoro tensed up, clearly unused to receiving so much affection. He eventually relaxed, and the both of you stayed there, comfortable silence hanging in the air. Zoro's breathing was hot in your ear, and you could tell by the increasing steadiness of it that he was slowly drifting off. You let your eyes close as well, feeling the happiest you've felt in a long time.

"HEY, I FOUND THEM!" The yell of your captain triggered a groan from Zoro. You giggled at his frustration as you brushed the grass off of yourself and picked up your bags. Luffy had bounded over by the time you and Zoro had gathered all of your things together, and was quickly followed by the rest of the crew.

"There you guys are! The loguepose reset, so we can go now," Nami said. "What were you two doing out here anyway?" You flashed a quick, knowing smile to Zoro.

"Oh, nothing." Nami eyed you suspiciously and spun on her heel. She'd get it out of you eventually.

"Can we leave now?" Luffy hollered, already a good ten feet away from the crew.

"Yes, Luffy, we can go now—"

"ALRIGHT!" Without missing a beat, Luffy sprinted towards what presumably was the direction the ship was in.

"Guess we better go, huh?" Zoro finally spoke. Your head perked up to face him, and you instantly smiled at the loving gaze he was giving you. Zoro grabbed your hand, gently intertwining his fingers with yours. Nothing had ever felt more right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ending was difficult for me to write, but I think it turned out okay :)  
> Sorry to the Sanji stans.


End file.
